# Subaru Outback Chugging Along... Need Help!

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-outback-chugging-along-need-help/3979>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** outback, engines, filters, subaru, gasoline, oil\
**Created:** [September 1, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-outback-chugging-along-need-help/3979 "2007-09-01T15:12:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![steveblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@steveblue](https://community.cartalk.com/u/steveblue)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-outback-chugging-along-need-help/3979/1 "2007-09-01T15:12:25Z")

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Howdy,  
  
  
  
 I have a 2001 Subaru Outback 2.5 Limited Sedan. The Check Engine light is intermittently going off and on. I think this may have to do with a fuel line problem. I recently moved to a new place and started buying Unleaded Gas from the nearest Gas Station. The Subaru started to have problems going up steep hills. When I accelerate the car just can’t keep up, the odometer starts dropping off and my car has actually stalled out once. When I restart the engine, the car feels fine most times. This doesn’t feel like a transmission problem, but a fuel sensor or possibly fuel filter. It feels as if the engines is not getting enough fuel. On the highways, the Subaru seems to perform fine.  
  
  
  
 So, I visited another Gas Station and filled up with Mid Grade Unleaded. This seems to fix the problem, except the Check Engine light still appears every once in awhile. I have found that when I fill up with the Unleaded gas from the original gas station, I see the same problems again.  
  
  
  
 Is the fuel filter most likely in need of replacement and how much should this run me?

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**Author:** ![larrybat21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b3f665/32.png) [@larrybat21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/larrybat21)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/subaru-outback-chugging-along-need-help/3979/2 "2007-09-01T18:17:50Z")

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I’ve always fed my “fleet” of Subarus (6 so far) mid-grade fuel. If you moved to to a higher altitude, you may to check that your manifold absolute pressure sensor is working correctly. If the port that samples ambient air pressure is blocked, the fuel-air mixture will be off.  
On our Outback, I get a check-engine light and the OBD2 code reader tells me it is due to low catalytic efficiency. I can reset it but it comes back a few days later. Get yourself an OBD2 code reader (around $100). Good luck!